The Woman With the Rose
770 Words
The room was silent.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The paused surveillance footage remained on the screen.
The silver rose brooch glimmered beneath the hospital lights.
Lucas finally broke the silence.
"The nurse said..."
"Don't trust... the person wearing the rose."
Damien folded his arms.
"Can we identify the woman?"
The technician shook his head.
"The video resolution is too poor."
"I can enhance it further..."
"But it will take time."
Damien nodded.
"Do it."
"Every frame."
"No matter how long it takes."
The technician immediately returned to work.
...
Isabella couldn't take her eyes off the screen.
That brooch...
She had definitely seen it before.
But where?
She closed her eyes.
Searching through memories buried deep inside her mind.
A ballroom...
A charity dinner...
A company gala...
Suddenly—
Her eyes flew open.
"I remember."
Everyone turned toward her.
"I've seen that rose before."
"Where?"
"It wasn't at the hospital."
"It was..."
She hesitated.
"...at Adrian's company anniversary banquet."
Adrian.
Damien frowned.
"Are you certain?"
She nodded slowly.
"I remember because it was unusual."
"Everyone wore diamonds."
"But one woman wore a silver rose."
Lucas immediately searched through archived event photographs.
Hundreds of pictures appeared on the screen.
Employees.
Guests.
Business partners.
Models.
Executives.
He zoomed in one after another.
"No."
"Not this one."
"Not her."
Then...
Click.
One photograph filled the screen.
Isabella's breathing stopped.
"There..."
Lucas enlarged the image.
A woman stood beside Sophia Blake.
She smiled confidently at the cameras.
Pinned to her blazer...
Was the exact same silver rose brooch.
Damien narrowed his eyes.
"Who is she?"
Lucas read the event guest list.
"Dr. Vanessa Cole."
"The private physician hired by Knight Group three years ago."
The room fell silent.
"A doctor?"
Damien's voice remained calm.
"Find everything on her."
Lucas typed rapidly.
His expression changed.
"That's strange."
"What?"
"She resigned suddenly."
"When?"
Lucas looked at the date.
"...Two weeks after Miss Isabella's miscarriage."
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.
Too many coincidences.
Damien looked toward the door.
"We're going to find her."
...
Meanwhile...
In an expensive penthouse across the city...
A woman calmly poured herself a glass of red wine.
Her phone vibrated.
She answered without looking at the screen.
"They found the video."
The caller sounded terrified.
"They're looking for Dr. Vanessa."
The woman smiled.
"I expected that."
"What should we do?"
She walked toward the window.
Looking over the city's skyline.
"Tell Vanessa..."
"...to disappear."
"And if she refuses?"
The woman's smile slowly faded.
"Then she becomes another loose end."
She ended the call.
Then picked up a velvet jewelry box.
Inside...
Rested a silver rose brooch.
She gently traced its petals.
"So..."
"You finally noticed me."
...
Knight Group Headquarters.
Adrian sat alone in his office.
The room was dark.
His eyes rested on an old photograph.
It had been taken on the day Knight Group celebrated its anniversary.
He wasn't looking at himself.
He was looking at Isabella.
She stood in the background.
Holding a tray of champagne.
She wasn't supposed to be there.
She had secretly attended just to see him.
He remembered what happened afterward.
She had smiled and asked,
"Did I embarrass you?"
He had answered coldly,
"You should've stayed home."
He closed his eyes.
Another memory.
Another regret.
His phone suddenly rang.
It was his grandfather.
"Come to the manor."
"Now."
...
One hour later...
Damien's convoy arrived outside a quiet suburban house.
Lucas checked the address again.
"This is it."
"Dr. Vanessa Cole."
The lights inside were on.
But the front door...
Hung slightly open.
Damien's expression darkened.
"Something's wrong."
He stepped inside first.
The living room was a mess.
Furniture overturned.
Broken glass covered the floor.
There were clear signs of a struggle.
"Search the house."
Security spread out immediately.
Isabella slowly walked toward the dining table.
There...
She noticed a single teacup.
Still warm.
"They were just here..."
Lucas called out from upstairs.
"Mr. Black!"
Damien rushed up the staircase.
Lucas stood outside a bedroom.
His face had gone pale.
"The window..."
"It's open."
They looked outside.
Fresh tire tracks marked the wet ground below.
Someone had escaped...
Or someone had been taken.
Just then...
A faint sound came from the wardrobe.
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
Damien slowly reached for the handle.
He opened it.
Inside...
Curled into a ball...
Was a frightened little girl.
No older than six.
She clutched a worn teddy bear against her chest.
Tears streamed down her face.
She looked up at Damien...
Then at Isabella.
In a tiny, trembling voice, she whispered,
"They took my mommy..."
Before anyone could respond...
She pointed toward Isabella.
"They said..."
"...you're next."
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